The Assembly has passed Senate Bill 1272, co-authored by Assemblyman Das Williams, D-Carpinteria, that would advance the efforts to reverse the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission.

In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution forbids the government from limiting political independent spending by corporations in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

In a Washington Post-ABC poll done that same year, 80 percent of Americans were reportedly opposed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling.

“It is clear that we need to let people’s voices be heard,” Williams said. “Corporations are not mentioned in the Constitution, nor have The People ever granted Constitutional rights to corporations.”

To date, over 55 towns, cities and counties in California have passed resolutions calling on the U.S. Congress to draft, pass and return to the states, an amendment (s) that reasserts the rights of citizens to set limits on political spending.

“Unfortunately, the Supreme Court’s reversal of previous decisions on limiting spending allows bottomless corporate and individual financial contributions to distort the election process,” said Williams.

Senate Bill 1272 would add an advisory question to the Nov. 4, ballot which would allow voters to choose whether or not an amendment to the U.S. Constitution is required to reverse the U.S. Supreme Court decision.

— Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios is the district director for Assemblyman Das Williams.